everthereader's review against another edition
5.0
Loved it! It was just as awesome as the first. To be honest, the frog was my favorite character. Jack and Jill should listen to him more.
menniemenace's review against another edition
4.0
It would've been amazing if this were a long series, three books are nowhere near enough.
Jack and Jill are the new main characters in this book, and like Hansel and Gretel they're brave and lonely and resourceful. I really liked them.
Jack and Jill are the new main characters in this book, and like Hansel and Gretel they're brave and lonely and resourceful. I really liked them.
mehsi's review against another edition
5.0
I got this book early. Just looked at bookdepository.com and it shouldn't be out yet. No clue how they got the book 20 days before it is to come out.
But oh well. Means I could read it earlier. :)
And what a ride it was, I really hope he will make a third book, because he really writes well, and I love the narration (and it breaking the fourth wall).
I also love how he weaves multiple stories into one big one, where all the characters come together and do stuff. Jack and Jill, only now with more fun and more characters and more stories. :) I love it.
And this time it is a quest for the Seeing Glass. Bringing Jack and Jill to many different towns, creatures and people. And learning some lessons along the way.
I can't wait for a third book. :)
But oh well. Means I could read it earlier. :)
And what a ride it was, I really hope he will make a third book, because he really writes well, and I love the narration (and it breaking the fourth wall).
I also love how he weaves multiple stories into one big one, where all the characters come together and do stuff. Jack and Jill, only now with more fun and more characters and more stories. :) I love it.
And this time it is a quest for the Seeing Glass. Bringing Jack and Jill to many different towns, creatures and people. And learning some lessons along the way.
I can't wait for a third book. :)
sandraagee's review against another edition
4.0
You do not need to have read [b:A Tale Dark and Grimm|11974615|A Tale Dark and Grimm|Adam Gidwitz|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1310058046s/11974615.jpg|10874302] to enjoy this book. But if you loved Gidwitz's first book, you'll like this one too! Both books do a great job of celebrating the dark, unpleasant aspects of fairy tales and turning them into a cohesive story.
More so than in A Tale Dark and Grimm, Gidwitz has a clear lesson inserted into this tale, though it never feels unpleasantly didactic. There's enough blood, vomit, and fire-burping giant salamanders to keep it from being preachy.
It was also interesting to see Gidwitz draw from non-Grimm sources, including John Jacobs, Hans Christen Anderson, and even Christina Rossetti. Some of these references will be a bit more obscure to the average child reader, but Gidwitz cites each and every one of his sources at the end.
More so than in A Tale Dark and Grimm, Gidwitz has a clear lesson inserted into this tale, though it never feels unpleasantly didactic. There's enough blood, vomit, and fire-burping giant salamanders to keep it from being preachy.
It was also interesting to see Gidwitz draw from non-Grimm sources, including John Jacobs, Hans Christen Anderson, and even Christina Rossetti. Some of these references will be a bit more obscure to the average child reader, but Gidwitz cites each and every one of his sources at the end.
sapphiremarie's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
wiseowl33's review against another edition
4.0
This is a gruesome, but wonderful series! Love the way the story moves from tale to tale but keeps the same characters. Loved the frog in this book! Great story!
cynthiak's review against another edition
4.0
Just a tad less impressed with this book (2nd in the series). The beginning is great, it gets a bit boring with the story around the giants and then it goes crescendo towards a great finale.
akookieforyou's review against another edition
3.0
Not quite as good as book one. I didn't find the stories to be as engaging in this one as I did in the last. But it wasn't bad, there were some pretty good moments too. Overall, pretty good.
impreader's review against another edition
5.0
Excellent. One can't go wrong with the depth and grotesque' of the unadulterated fairy tale, da? And Gidwitz threads it all through -- blood, guts, horror, wonder, injustice, true love. ...er, sounds Princess Bride now. But no. Gidwitz is a wonder for the wonder he weaves his own tales with, and writes the perfect yarn for a kid or young adult, drawing out the innate edge of faerie, updating only the narrator's voice, and only in interjections, and blending many small tales into a single, much the way pieces of a life blend to make one whole person.
clioreadsalot's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0